General election - live updates: Huge voter turnout at polls as 14 years of Tory power could be over
Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer cast their ballots before queues build up elsewhere amid warm weather
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Massive turnouts are being reported at polling stations around the country as millions of people vote in a general election that could deliver a major shake-up of British politics and end 14 years of Conservative government.
Some polling stations have had long queues amid good weather, and now it’s believed turnout could be one of the highest in recent election history.
The prime minister cast his ballot alongside his wife Akshata Murty in his North Yorkshire constituency and Keir Starmer cast his ballot accompanied by his wife, Victoria, in London.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt pleaded with voters to re-elect him as he cast his ballot in Godalming and Ash, where he is fighting to defend his seat against the Lib Dems.
A major poll for The Independent yesterday suggested Rishi Sunak would lead the Conservatives to the worst defeat in history with only 82 seats.
If the forecast is accurate, chancellor Jeremy Hunt and defence secretary Grant Shapps are among the veteran Conservatives set to be ousted.
Sir Keir could enter the doors of No 10 triumphant, with an unprecedented 272-seat majority, polls suggest.
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Dozens of dogs stand at polling station
A Facebook post by “The Duke of Buccleuch Hounds”, a local business at the Scottish Borders, captured a man standing at a polling station with dozens of dogs around him earlier this morning.
“Off to vote,” the post wrote.
Polling day: What can you expect?
Each voter is assigned a polling station that is close to their registered address and they have to go to that place to vote. At most 2,250 voters are allocated to each polling station.
They are open between 7am and 10pm on polling day. Those in the queue outside the polling station at 10pm will still be allowed to vote.
It is not permitted to take photos inside the polling station.
Candidates are allowed to enter polling stations, but must not canvass voters. They can appoint polling agents who can enter the stations and observe the voting, although only one polling agent per candidate can enter the polling station at a time.
After the last person has voted the presiding officer seals the ballot box. Candidates, election agents or polling agents may add their own seal to the box as well.
After paperwork has been completed the ballot boxes are then transported to the count centre to be counted.
Jeremy Hunt pleads to be re-elected as ‘strong local voice'
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has urged voters to re-elect him as a “strong local voice” as he desperately fights to protect his seat.
The Godalming and Ash candidate could be at risk of being hit by a huge Tory wipeout in his race against the Liberal Democrats
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Hunt said: “[I’m] your strong local voice for Godalming Ash... After six weeks of campaigning, that big moment has arrived.”
Emma Raducanu says she didn't know election was today
Emma Raducanu revealed she did not know the general election was happening on Thursday and admitted she will be focusing her tennis over going to vote, Michael Jones reports.
The 21-year-old Brit impressed on Centre Court on Wednesday with a wonderful display to defeat Belgium’s Elise Mertens 6-1 6-2 in straight sets and progress into the third round at Wimbledon where she will next face No.9 seed Maria Sakkari.
Speaking after her win, Raducanu was asked if she would vote before heading to practise on Thursday to which she replied: “No. I think I’ll have a lie-in, then I’ll come to practise.
“I didn’t even know it was tomorrow, to be honest! Thanks for letting me know.”
Raducanu became the latest British player to prioritise their tennis over the general election as both Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart acknowledged that they may not get a chance to vote ahead of their second round clash on Thursday.
Voters concerned about environment and climate change
While experts remind us of the existential threat posed by climate change, polls suggest the issue is only an important priority for about one in five voters, Jonathan Bunn reports.
However, that is still a significant number of voters and the environment is an issue that concerns people across the political spectrum.
Despite progress in the UK on cutting emissions, the Conservatives will likely have angered many of a green persuasion by introducing new oil and gas licences.
Last year the watchdog the Climate Change Committee described efforts to scale up climate action as “worryingly slow”, with Government decisions undermining the UK’s leadership on the issue.
Labour has also faced challenges on the environment.
The decision to slash its green prosperity plan from £28 billion a year to £15 billion was heavily criticised by environmental groups and unions.
Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer votes in Bristol
Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, walked to vote at Redland Park United Reformed Church on Whiteladies Road in Bristol, on Thursday morning.
Ms Denyer, wearing a striped dress, dark green cardigan and green rosette, was accompanied by supporters for the walk to the polling station.
She greeted photographers and reporters outside the church, situated in a busy shopping area of Bristol, before going inside to cast her vote.
The Bristol Central candidate, a former councillor for the Clifton Down ward, then came outside and posed for photographs before walking away with supporters.
A look back: The Largest UK general election majority in history
The record for the largest majority won by a single party at a general election since 1900 is 210, set in 1924 by the Conservatives, Ian Jones reports.
The election of 1900 was the first of its kind to be contested by the recently-formed Labour Party, as well as the long-established Conservative and Liberal parties, and as such can be seen as the first general election of the modern political era.
Even larger majorities have been won by coalitions of parties.
A three-party National government, made up mostly of Conservatives along with small portions of the Labour and Liberal parties, won a majority of 242 at the 1935 election.
Four years earlier in 1931, the same National government won a majority of 492: the biggest ever parliamentary majority at a general election in modern political history.
Immigration set to be hotly debated as voters seek action
Immigration consistently comes in third place in recent polling on voter priorities and is set to be a key battleground in the election campaign, Jonathan Bunn reports.
The Government’s Rwanda Bill became law last month, paving the way for deportation flights to get off the ground.
This policy and Tory talk of limits on legal migration show the Government is committed to taking a hard line on the issue, despite the risk of alienating more moderate voters.
Meanwhile, Labour has said it is also looking to reduce the reliance on overseas workers and backs a points-based immigration system which it says “would work for workers and businesses”.
Sir Keir Starmer has been treading carefully on the issue of small boats, saying crossings needed to be reduced “materially” without setting a target.
He said a Labour government would expand counter-terror powers to cover people-smuggling gangs and create a new Border Security Command to co-ordinate efforts to halt the crossings.
Rishi Sunak said stopping the boats was one of his five priorities last year, but the number of migrants to have arrived in the UK in small boats across the Channel in 2024 is already approaching the 10,000 mark.
With crossings continuing, the Conservatives may have to rely on the symbolic impact of at least one flight to Rwanda rather than firm evidence that the policy is working.
Former prime minister Liz Truss votes hoping to be re-elected
Liz Truss has voted in her South West Norfolk constituency, where she was re-elected with a huge majority of 26,195 in 2019.
But the senior Tory’s seat could be on the line alongside Jeremy Hunt and Penny Mordaunt who are predicted to fall as part of an astonishing defeat, polls suggest.
The former prime minister wrote on X: “Just voted. Polls open until 10pm. #VoteConservative.”
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